We Discovered The Best Part About Flying A Hot Air Balloon — And The Hardest

For most people, taking a hot-air balloon ride is a beautiful and oftentimes romantic excursion. But for those doing the actual flying, it's a lot of hard work.

While reporting on Richard Branson's extreme adventures, I decided I had to try hot-air ballooning to see what he found so appealing about it. It turns out, floating through the air, especially in a beautiful area, is one of the most peaceful experiences there is — but it can be intense, too.

Bill Hughes, a hot-air balloon pilot with 44 years of experience, guided me and my colleague, producer Will Wei, in a ballooning lesson in upstate New York that was both relaxing and intense. It all ended with us landing in a family's front yard. Their son was convinced that we'd stopped by to wish him a happy birthday. We didn't let him think otherwise.